Chevron, law firm settle Ecuador pollution lawsuit

Law firm Patton Boggs LLP agreed to pay $15 million to settle Chevron's lawsuit over the law firm’s involvement in obtaining a $9.5 billion judgment against the oil company in Ecuador.

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By ANDREW HARRIS

Bloomberg

Patton Boggs LLP agreed to pay $15 million to settle
Chevron's lawsuit over the law firms involvement in
obtaining a $9.5 billion judgment against the oil company in
Ecuador.

Patton Boggs also agreed to withdraw from the Ecuador
litigation.

US District Judge Lewis Kaplan in New York on March 4 ruled
an attorney from another firm, Steven Donziger, resorted to
bribery and fraud in procuring the Chevron judgment in
Ecuador that held the oil company liable for polluting the
Amazon rain forest. Donziger has appealed the judges
findings.

Kaplans ruling includes a number of factual
findings about matters which would have materially affected
our firms decision to become involved and stay involved
as counsel, Patton Boggs said in a statement.
Patton Boggs regrets its involvement in this
matter.

On April 29, Kaplan threw out Patton Boggss claim that
San Ramon, California-based Chevron maliciously sued the firm
for pursuing collection of the judgment. The law firm, which
provided as much as $15 million to finance the Ecuadoran
litigation, had sought access to $21.8 million Chevron had
been ordered to post as a bond.

We are pleased that Patton Boggs is ending its
association with the fraudulent and extortionate Ecuador
litigation scheme, Chevron General Counsel Hewitt Pate
said in the statement. Chevron encourages others to
disassociate themselves from this fraud.

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